Weekend reading: Climber’s dynos, remajestification

Here’s a little weekend reading to keep you entertained in those times when you can’t be outside having adventures.

Beachgoers in Spain discovered a krakken, I mean, a giant squid washed up on the shore. Click hereto see it in all its horrifying, fascinating glory. The author of the story notes that officials have frozen the “colossal cephalopod” while trying to decide what to do with it. Doesn’t that phrase — colossal cephalopod — just inspire the imagination?

The National Parks are all closed, a result of the federal government shutdown. But perhaps, as The Onion reports, they just needed an excuse for the “remajestification” that the parks need annually. “‘These meadows aren’t going to sun-dapple themselves,’ Sequoia National Park superintendent Karen Taylor-Goodrich told reporters Monday. ‘Just today, I was on Moro Rock looking at the Western Divide and the resplendence factor was maybe three out of 10 — hardly jaw-dropping awe.’”

This video highlights the sights — and more importantly the sounds — of Olympic National Park.

“Enjoy the symphony of nature in one of the most acoustically diverse wilderness areas of the country as we follow the wilderness cry from the alpine region of the Olympic Mountains down through the canopies of the old growth forests and temperate rainforest into the raging waters of the wilderness coast.”

This 60-second video shows climbers performing dynos — in lay terms a leap to reach the next handhold. It’s part of a series of 60-second videos called Pause. They show gorgeous natural places and crazy adventurers.